Reuse shrink wrap?
- Thread starter Boomer2it
- Start date
Several years ago I reused my Fairclough cover, originally for my H290, for my H33. I added a section in the middle(now 4 pieces) and the cutouts for the shrouds needed very little modification. Also added a ridge support. The cover is made of Sunforger fabric, is now over 14 years old and has required some resewing and patching in wear areas but has held up well. I had the same epiphany as quadrille38 a few years ago and now build the frame in the slip and load the cover aboard before hauling. I also learned to roll the cover for storage in such a way that in the fall I just put it on the ridge and unroll it and let it drape in place.
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Had a similar duh moment a few years ago about getting the sail bags off the boat at the dock instead of carrying them over my shoulder down the extension ladder. Six months in physical therapy for my rotator cuff and a friend told me “You really need to consider what activities are age appropriate.”
Beg to differ with everyone here but I reused my shrink wrap once for perhaps a total of 5 seasons (believe it or not) and currently I'm on my third season of used shrink wrap. Granted, I have a smaller boat (Hunter 18.5) but the trick is once the 1st winter season has past, take a large sharpie marker and label areas (port bow, port stern, etc) and trace out features such rubrails, bow pulpit, etc. Then carefully cut and remove areas of the wrapping around the boat. Remove with caution, air out to dry, fold up and bag it. When it comes to reusing, replace the wrapping so it conforms to the original shape (that you previously marked) and carefully place the shrink wrap over the boat. Also I bought online the special shrink wrap tape (this is key as duct tape won't do) and allowed for me to patch up holes and places I had to cut. Also used staples in places. I know a lot of people will say the shrink wrap won't be tight enough but I installed grommets and tarp clamps to secure the bottom of the wrap to the trailer. This allowed me to tighten it up as much as I could. No ponding or tears and the boat is dry all winter. Yes, it may not look as nice as fresh shrink wrap but in my experience is it is worth the effort and small expense (grommets, clamps, shrink tape). In summary, with some work and care, you can probably get at least 2 to 3 additional seasons out of one shrink wrap.